Barbara McNamara, who served on the Board of Directors from 2008 to 2026 as Chairwoman, guiding our strategic direction and providing corporate governance and leadership, passed away on 17 January at the age of 83. Her service with Signalscape followed her long and distinguished career at the NSA.
Ms. McNamara began her career serving her country as a Chinese linguist in 1963, during the height of the Cold War. Over her 40-year career with the Government, she rose to key positions, including Deputy Director from 1997 to 2000. She received numerous awards, including the NSA’s Meritorious Service Award, the Exceptional Civilian Service Award, the Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Award, and the Presidential Rank Award. She was inducted into the Cryptologic Hall of Honor in 2020.
As a member of the Signalscape Board of Directors, she served as the Chairwoman, serving as a fiduciary for corporate governance.   Using her strong leadership skills, she was instrumental in steering the company’s growth and success. “She will be a great loss to the Intelligence community as a whole, and her inspiration and guidance will be missed by all here at Signalscape,” said CEO Jhan Vannatta.
Her obituary can be viewed at: https://www.philbincomeaufh.com/obituaries/Barbara-A-Mcnamara?obId=46975530
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​At Signalscape we are growing the next generation of engineers who want to deliver mission-critical technology solutions for defense, intelligence, and law enforcement partners.
Investing in early-career professionals is essential to Signalscape’s core mission. By recruiting early-career talent and providing structured mentorship, training, and hands-on experience, we cultivate the next generation of engineers and problem solvers. New employees bring fresh perspectives, emerging technical skills, and a natural familiarity with evolving technologies, while our experienced team members provide the institutional knowledge and discipline needed for mission-critical work. Through deliberate talent development, Signalscape strengthens its workforce pipeline, ensures continuity of expertise, and builds a culture where new ideas and proven practices work together to support complex national security and technical missions.

As part of our recruitment program, Signalscape attends several college-level career fairs a year.  Our first one this year was February 16 when we went to NC State to take part in their Engineering Career Fair.  NC State is a natural partner for Signalscape with its highly ranked engineering program and location right here in the Triangle (N.C.).  We have been providing internships and job opportunities to NC State students for years and these talented employees people have been a tremendous benefit to Signalscape. 

​We look forward to meeting new engineers at NC State and other universities throughout 2026!

​Cary, NC — [October 2025] — Signalscape announced that its advanced biometric scanner, SonicID, has officially received Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Appendix F Certification — a key industry benchmark ensuring full compliance with the FBI’s rigorous image quality and interoperability standards. This certification confirms that SonicID meets or exceeds the technical requirements necessary for integration with the Next Generation Identification (NGI) System, supporting the highest levels of accuracy and reliability for biometric identification. The certification also confirms compliance with Personal Identity Verification (PIV) standards, supporting secure identity verification programs across government sectors.
 
“Earning Appendix F certification is a major milestone,” said Sam Burgiss, Chief Growth Officer. “This certification underscores our commitment to delivering field-proven, mission-ready technology that law enforcement and government agencies can depend on in any environment.”
 
SonicID is a rugged, portable, and power-efficient biometric scanner purpose-built for frontline operations. Equipped with a FAP 60 ultrasonic sensor, the device delivers Appendix F-certified fingerprint images that remain clear and accurate even in harsh conditions—dust, rain, grease, extreme temperatures, or worn skin. Unlike conventional optical or capacitive sensors, SonicID maintains image quality when users’ hands are affected by dehydration, sunscreen, sanitizer, dirt, or occupational wear.
 
Beyond fingerprinting, SonicID incorporates SAP 32-compliant facial image capture via the mobile device’s camera and IAP 20-compliant single-eye iris capture with its integrated infrared camera. This multi-modal biometric capability gives agencies a complete, tactical enrollment solution designed for evolving mission needs.
 
SonicID already integrates with another critical federal biometric system: the Department of Defense’s Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS). Together, the NGI and ABIS integrations strengthen SonicID’s position in the United States’ federal biometric infrastructure, ensuring interoperability and information sharing across law enforcement and defense.
 
“Signalscape has offered premier investigative recording systems — StarWitness Interview Rooms and StarWitness Field Interviewer — to satisfied customers for 15 years,” added Burgiss. “With SonicID, we are expanding the tools law enforcement agencies can use in real-world environments.”

​Cary, NC, [September 2025] Signalscape,Inc. a trusted provider of advanced technology solutions for national security and law enforcement,  is pleased to announce the appointment of Sam Burgiss as Chief Growth Officer. In this role, he will oversee the company’s growth strategy, lead business development, and strengthen customer partnerships while advancing Signalscape’s mission-critical services and products.
 
Underscoring the company’s growth vision, President and CEO Jhan Vannatta remarked, “Signalscape’s future depends on pairing the depth of our technical expertise with a clear focus on customer mission success. Our engineers thrive on solving complex challenges, and with Sam’s proven track record in driving growth strategy, we’re positioned to translate that innovation into new opportunities, expanded partnerships, and lasting impact for the national security and law enforcement communities.”
 
With 25-plus years of experience driving mission success across the defense, intelligence, and law enforcement sectors, Burgiss has led product and business development initiatives spanning hardware, software, cloud, and AI. He has a proven track record of aligning emerging technologies with operational needs, expanding market presence, and forging long-term customer partnerships. He most recently served as Director of Product Strategy at Exovera, a provider of mission-driven OSINT and analytic solutions. Burgiss holds a M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tennessee and a B.S. in Computer Engineering from North Carolina State University.